China - Table of Contents ...........  Chinese Architecture Dictionary........... Architecture Around the World

The Small Wild Goose Pagoda
Xi'an, China

Buildings

History





Pagodas ...... Chinese Buddhism


Buildings


Entrance



Entrance. Detail below:



Entrance - detail.
Flying eaves ... Flanking roof dragons (chiwen) ... Waves for protecting the building from fire ... Functional and decorative tile-ends

  Additional detail below:



Entrance - detail.
Flying eaves ... Flanking roof dragons (chiwen) ... Waves for protecting the building from fire ... Functional and decorative tile-ends



Pagoda steps






Ends destroyed by earthquake






History





No. 1 Great Stupa of Sanchi [India] built in the 3rd Century BC at the order of King Asoka.  First drawing below is of this stupa.
A stupa is a mound-like or semi-hemispherical structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the ashes of Buddhist monks, used by Buddhists as a place of meditation. Stupas originated as pre-Buddhist earthen burial mounds, in which ascetics were buried in a seated position, called chaitya.




The Small Wild Goose Pagoda - a transformation from the Indian stupa (above) to the Chinese pagoda with densely arranged eaves (below).


















Note end of eaves damaged by earlier earthquake







Photos and their arrangement © 2013 Chuck LaChiusa
| ...Home Page ...| ..Buffalo Architecture Index...| ..Buffalo History Index... .|....E-Mail ...| ..

web site consulting by ingenious, inc.